Automatic release mechanism for vestibule-curtains.



J. H. DONALDSON & B. 'I'. LEWIS.

M. 0. LEWIS, EXBOU'IRIX 0I' B. T. LEWIS, DEU'D. AUToMATw RELEASE MEGHANISM EOE vEsTIEUEE CURTAINS.

APPLICATION FILED MAYQ, 1914.

Patented July 28, 1914.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

JAMES II. DONALDSON, OE CHICAGO, AND BENJAMIN T. LEWIS, DECEASED, LATE OE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, BY MINNIE C. LEWIS, EXECUTEIX, or LA GRANGE, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC RELEASE MECHANISM FOR VESTIBTJ'LE-CURTAINS.

Specification of Letters Patent. rPatented uly ,28, 1914,

Original application filed April 17,1911, Serial No. 621,667. y Divided and thisapplication led May 9,

' 1914. Serial No. 837,385.

y SON and BENJAMIN T. LEWIS, deceased, citizens o f the United States, residingy at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Release Mechanism for Vcstibule-Gurtains, of which the following isa specification.

Our invention has for its objectto produce a Simple and reliable mechanism for automatically disconnecting the free yends of car vestibule curtains whenever the cars tov which they are attached are drawn apart an abnormal distance, `thus preventing injury Ato the curtains and permitting them to roll up automatically out of the' way.

The various features of novelty whereby our invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the Claims; but, for a full understanding of our invention andof'its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section through the adjoining vestibules of two passenger cars showing our improved curtain mechanism in place; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a fragment of the edge of the cur-A tain adjacent to the handle, parts being broken away to Show the interior; Fig. 3 is a Section on line B-Sof Fig. 2; and Fig. 4t is a view similar to Fig. 2 illustrating a modification.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 represent the vestibule door posts on the adjacent ends of two cars.

3 is a curtain mounted in any Suitable way on the post 1, preferably on the usual spring roller, and adapted lto be drawn across the space between-the two posts and attachably fastened at its free,` edge to the post 2; thus forming a Cover across the inner Side of the diaphragm, 4, and protecting passengers from Contact with the diaphragm.

It sometimes happens that cars are uncoupled, either accidentally or otherwise, and are drawn apart while the free en d of the curtain is still fastened. When this occurs, unless some means is provided for au tomatically releasing the curtain, the latter is of course torn and destroyed. In accordance with our invention we havey provided a Simple and effective means which will cause kdle Onthe free'. edge of the curtain.'

end we prefer to form the Stiifening member 5 along the free edge of the Curt-ain of a tube within whichis a vertically-movable bar or other tripping device, 6, suspended from a chain or cable 7 ywhich passes up over a` pulley or roller, 8, at the upper outer corner of the curtain and then back to the post on which the curtain isy mounted; the end of the chain being, fastened to thepost as indicated at 9. The members 6 and 7 are made of such length that when the curtain is 'completely wound up or retracted in'its casing, the chain or cable is housed within the tubular stiffening member and Supports the lower end of the tripping member 6 at or above the bottom'of the stiffening member. #Vlth this arrangement, as the curtain Is drawn out, the iieXible member must be wit-hdrawn from the tubular stiffening mem-y ber at the rate at which` the curtain is being unwound, the bar or other tripping device consequently being lifted. vWe make use of thismovement of the member 6 to unfasten the free end 'of the rcurtain automatically in case the cars are drawn apart before the free end of the curtain is unfastened. This be seen that on the post 2 of the car isa` hook or catch, 10, adapted` toreceive a han- The handle is made fof a bar or tube 11, hinged as at 12, at its upper end to a bracket or casting, 13, fastened to the Stiifening tube of the curtain. The lower end of the member 11 abuts against the outer end of an arm 14 on the casting or bracket. The arm 14 is made hollow and contains a springheld dog, 15, whose nose, 16, is adapted tol kengage with the lower end of the member 11and hold it locked againsty thearmnlr.

vThe rear end, 17, ofthe dogr projects through a slot 18 in the tube 5 and lies in the .path

of a head 19 -on the lower end of the tripping device 6. It will be yseen that if the tripping device is lifted far enough, kthe yhead 19 ywill'strike `the tail ofthe dog and will swing it out of engagement withl the handle member 11 so that thelatter member is free to swing on its hinge. The parts are so proportioned that when the curtain is drawn out as far as it normally willbe when in use, the head 19 lies in close proximityT to the dog and consequently, in case the cars part and thus begin to draw the curtain out farther, the dog will be tri ped and the handle will be automatically reed from the catch before the curtain can be damaged.

rIhe arrangement shown in Fig. 4: differs from that in Fig. 2 onlyv in thedetails of the handle, the curtain with. its stiffening tube and tripping bar being the same in both cases. In Fig. t the handle is in the form of a bar, 20, having atits upper end a chain or other flexible member 21y which is fastened to a suitable bracket orl casting, 22, on. the curtain. At the lower end of the member 204 is a secondv flexible member, 23, provided with a resilient catch projecting through the slot 18 in the stiftening tube and adapted to be engaged by the head 19 on the tripping device in emergencies. In the arrangement shown the spring catch is made in the form of a link, Q4, having two separated arms, 25 and 2G. The end of the arm QG is folded back as indicated at 27 so as to transform this arm into a hook. The parts are sok proportioned that the tension of the spring-catch tends to spread the arms 25 and 26 apart, so that these arms must be pressed toward each other in order to permit them to beinserted through the opening 18. Then the ends of the arms 25 and 26 have been inserted through the` openingL 18v and are released, the tension spreads them apart until they lie in opposite ends of the opening 18 and the part 27 -serves as a shoulder engaging with the interior of the stiifening tube just below the opening. In this arrangement thev inner end of the arm 26 lies in the path of thek head 19 on the tripping device so that when, in an emergency, the head rises, the arm 26 is lifted until the part 27 clears the wall of the stiifening tube and is` free to move Out through the opening 18. If at thistime the cars arebeing drawn apart, the spring catch simply draws out and allows the handle member 2O to yield. and `release itselffrom. the hook.

While we have illustrated and described only two preferred forms of our invention, we do not desire to be limited to theexact structural details thus illustrated and described, but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which` fallV wit-hin the, terms constituting the appended claims.`

We claim:

1. In combination,A a car vestibuleY door post, a curtain roller mounted ony said post, a device including a catch on the free end.

' of the curtain for securing it to the door post von an adyoining car, a flexible member connected at one end to the post on which the curtain roller is mounted at a point above the curtain, a guide on the free end of the curtain over which said flexible member passes, and means on said flexible member for engaging with said catch and tripping 'the same when the curtain is drawn out a predetermined distance.

2. In combination, a car vestibule door post, a curtain roller mounted on said post,

a device 0n the free end of the curtain for post, a curtain on said roller, said curtainhaving a tubular stiffening member extending' alongits free edge, a flexible member secured to the aforesaid door post and extendinginto said tube, a securing device at the fieeend of the curtain for connecting the curtain to the vestibule` door post of an adjacent car, and means on said flexible member for releasing said securing device.

1. In combination,` a car vestibule door post, a curtain roller mounted on said door post, a curtain connected at one end to said roller, a tubular stiifening member along the free edge of the curtain, a flexible member secured at one end to said door post and extending at its other end into said tubular member, a. fastening device for the free end of said curtain, including a catch projecting into said tubular member adjacent to a portion of said flexible member, and means on said flexible member for tripping said catch when the curtain isdrawn out a predeter- `mined distance.

In testimony whereof we sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES H. DONALDSON; MINNIE C. LEWIS, Eecutm' of the last willem] testament 0f Benjamn; T. Y Lewis. IVitnesses as to signature of James H.

g Donaldson;n employed in the deiinitions of ourl inventionA W. G. TA-NZER.

G. A. JOHNSON,

Witnesses as to signature of' Minnie C. Lewis:

M. A. GRANT, G. A. JOHNSON;

tive cents each, b Washington, I). Ca

y addressing the Commissioner oi' Patenti, 

